Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1887-08-28


PART III.
On the pier was Dir. Lane, and Mr.
Lanes face bore y rather aggrieved ex
prssion.
''You must all be so dreadfully hungry
have been waiting 50 long for yOuP' said
Mr.. Lane. ''I have ordered dinner 10
deserved in q private ROOM"
It was very kind and thoughtful Of Mr..
Lane, but not one Of the excursionists was
hungry. Mary Acton would have pleaded
some excuse had not her apnt prevented 1t.
Early next morning Mrs. Sterling and
Julia, with Mr. Lane, left for New York;
and now DIR. Lanes little daughter should
have occupied aary's undivided attention.
The hotel was thronged, but Mary held
herself aloof from the crowd Of pleasure
seekers. As she sat that night in her room,
her little charge asleep, she recalled the in
cidents of the day before; but then there
came other thoughts of much more an
nOying character. ..
What precise weight ought sheto give to
Mr.. Lanes attentions? Why bad her
aunt, as she kissed her that morning bid
ding her gOOd-hy, said to her: MY dear
child, count ON your good Judgement
aud / assure you that you hold your hap
piness quite within your grasp. The
devotion YOU have shown Annie has touch
cd Mr.. Lane, and he is more than grateful.
Mr.. Lane lost his wife six years ago, and,
Mary, he is barely forty-fve, and there is
void in the poor mans life"
1t had all been vague how stupid il had
been of herD until her aunt had talked to
her. But now a hundred trivial eircum-
stances confirmed her belief that Mr..
Lanes attentions had taken q serious
shape. He was not commonplace, nor eN-
actly heavy, nor precisely stupid; bnt she
could not talk to him Tor ten consecutive
minutes without feeling OF intense wea-
riness. He was imme uSely respectable and
eminently tireSOme-at least TO her She
loved Annie; but the fact that she had
nursed the child, and heen paid for it, her
devOtiOn-sO they called twas COM
monplaee, merchantable thing; and why
should she he Armies Step-mOther?
A week had passed, and each day
brought note from Mr.. Lane, and every
note she opened with fear and trembling
She barely read them. They were rather
commonplace, and required no reply. But
she dreaded lest certain note might come,
and when it did come she fancisd letter
from her aunt would accompany it.
One afternoon Mary caught sight OF a
fshing-smack far out at sea IL is ny no
means certain that it was the Josieanua.
1t might have been fancy of Mary's that
il was, but she went down to the office and
borrowed the glass and swept the horizon
with il, and could see nothing but blur
on the wide eNpauSc of water Then she
made up her mind that she never would
look for fiShing-smaCSS again. Why (she
struggled 10 suppress the thought
had not Mr.. SwensOn asked some very
simple question, not ii her, but OF her
aunt? Well, she would noe have been so
very much offended had he inquired of her
where her aunt lived Was he 50 very
timid, after alp Then she rehearScd every
word Swenson had said, and she was
astoniShed ut herOwn memory. Naturally
she remembered the various turns of the
conversation, and she blushed crimson.
Had she not Inadvertently told Mr.. Sven
son that she WAS to remain q month at
= Fergus Point? Did mates of fishing.
smacks ever visit summer hotels? Some
of them might ont Of place there hut GER
tainly not Mr.. Sweuson. 1t WAS an absured
fancy She ought to have insisted on his
returning the piece Of money. Why hadn't
he spent il? But-she covered her face
with her handS-why had she locked up,
where Julia never could find IT, = yellow
faded wisp Of plated grass? Ii was rub
bish, and some day, when il Uttered her
drawer, she would, ofeourse, throw it out
of the window.
A servant came, bringing the usual let
ter from Mr. Lane. The note lay unopen.
for an hour or two When Annie was in
course Of preparation tor bed, Mary opened
the letter. The first ten lines, so she
thought, contained the giSt OF the com
munication; then there was post script to
Annie. Mr.. Iaue had purchased cottage
at Long Branch with an astounding mum.
Der Of rooms To il, and Mary read, to her
annoyance, that il arrangements could be
made to purchase the furniture in the
house, Mary and Annie we're To lcavS
Fergus Point Il the transfer was mad,
he would send Geographic despatch al
once. 4 maiden sister Of Mr.. Lanes was
to live in the house. Little Annie, who's,
knowledge OF written letters was SCant, had
to have her portion Of the letter converted
into easy English.
The reading of this letter was in the
highest degree Disseminating to Mary. She
would burst through the web that was
being spun around her. Then she thought
over a word, a turn OF expression, in that
portion Of the letter addressed to Annie
There came to Mary Acton the positive
conviction that the postscript was more
for her than for Annie. Between the line,
of the letter addressed TO the little girl Mr..
Lanes admiration for her, Mary, VIA
clearly expressed. 1t was a declaration
Mary coRld have torn up the litter in heI
anger. at was uumauly," she cried,
with tears in her eyes. "A woman can
never he won sou Then she read the let
ter more attentiYely than she ever had
read any of Mr.. Lanes sPistles before, and
found that throughout the " bole OF the let.
ter, not only in the part TO her, but in that
to Annie, Mr.. Lane SintentiOns were distant
She blamed herself Tor her temper. ale
does not write discourtcOusly. | have no
right to get angry. But the whole bust
ness must stop right now. But what am
to do? l cant abandon Annie. would
write nv amt, hut she and Julia are out
Of New York. To he left with MIR. Ian,
and his sister in their Uew house would be
to infict apunishment on me do not de
serve. Where am 20 gO2 What am to
do? Oh! must write ct once To Mr.
lane. Perhaps there may be Some delay,
and my aunt will be back, and the de-
spatch that may come tomorrow with my
marching orders
Next day there did come lengthy de-
9patch. Arrangements for the purchase OF
The furniture in the new house were pro-
crossing fayorably. Mr.. Lane would send
by express some samples Of stuffS for eur
tains. Would Mis- Acton select what she
thought would bt most suitable? There
was no intimatiOn that Mr.. Lane expected
N. renly IN his last letter Nevertheless